Presser Foundation- Special Projects Grant

The Presser Foundation's Special Projects Grant supports innovative music organizations with funding ranging from $5,000 to $25,000. The grant focuses on newly formed organizations and those impacted by funding changes, encouraging applications for projects enhancing artistic development, financial stability, and collaboration. Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits within a 75-mile radius of Philadelphia, ensuring a broad reach in supporting diverse musical initiatives.

About the Presser Foundation
In the charter of incorporation, The Foundation’s purposes are set forth to promote primarily the cause of musical education and musical philanthropy as follows: to provide scholarships for promising students; to increase the value of music education by erecting suitable buildings; and to administer aid to worthy teachers of music in distress.
While The Foundation’s priorities have evolved over time, it has provided much needed funding to further the cause of music for over 75 years. It has been said that Theodore Presser wanted to give back to music what he had made from it. When he died in 1925, he left no children. He had been widowed twice, and the bulk of his fortune was left to The Foundation.
The small staff and Board of Trustees continue to oversee the work of The Foundation. The Foundation is fortunate to have had a founder who clearly stated the purpose which he desired to achieve. The Board of Trustees includes prominent local and national leaders in music. All Trustees share a passion for music and all are committed to carrying out the intentions of the benefactor.
Introduction & Purpose
The Trustees of The Presser Foundation created the Special Projects Committee to consider grant requests that fall outside the Foundation’s core grantmaking programs. Grant amounts typically range from $5,000 to $25,000 annually for music organizations operating in a broad range of music traditions, genres, and styles. In 2024-25, 9% of The Presser Foundation’s distributed funds ($320,230/$3.73 million) went to Special Project grants. This fiscal year (2025-26), the Special Projects Committee will consider applications for:
General Operating Support for newly established music organizations (up to 5 years in existence).Resilience Grants for small music organizations impacted by government funding or policy changes. These grant requests of up to $7,500 are for organizations with operating budgets under $150,000. Organizations seeking support for the following are encouraged to apply:

• Artistic and/or organizational development (e.g. workforce programming) projects that have been impacted by government funding cuts;
• Organizations seeking legal, financial, fundraising, or communications guidance to navigate government funding or policy changes;
• Efforts to share costs and collaborate* with another nonprofit organization to maintain financial stability for the organization; and
• Other efforts to maintain your organization’s core mission and/or financial viability in response to the changing arts funding landscape will be considered.
• *Not intended for one-time creative collaborations.

Eligibility

Non-profit, 501(c)(3) music performance, music presenting or music education organizations.Pre-collegiate music education organizations include:after school music programs,community music schools,music preparatory divisions andyouth instrumental and vocal programs.Organizations that are in Pennsylvania (including Harrisburg), New Jersey, Delaware or Maryland and are within a 75-mile radius of Philadelphia are eligible to apply.Multi-year requests will be considered and should be submitted for projects that are greater than a year in duration.

Ineligibility

Activities that are a regular part of an organization’s operation including annual festivals or other events, and/or larger than normal music productions or programming considered standard repertoire will not be considered for special project funding. Organizations in the New York and Baltimore metropolitan areas will not be considered for funding.Second grants for subsequent years of a project will not be considered.